Method of controlling a food thawing apparatus
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorKwang-Hyun Yun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator has a multi-purpose chamber in which foods can be selectively cooled or thawed. Thawing is performed by actuating a heater at the top of the chamber. The heat is circulated within the chamber by a flow of cooled air received through an orifice at the rear of the chamber. If the temperature within the chamber reaches a predetermined temperature after a minimum time period has elapsed, then the heater is deactivated. If the predetermined temperature has not been reached, then the heater remains activated until a maximum time period elapses, whereupon the heater is deactivated regardless of the sensed temperature. After the heater is deactivated, cooled air is continued to be supplied to the chamber for a preselected time period.
Claims6
A method of controlling a food thawing apparatus comprising the steps of:
- A) operating a compressor, an evaporator, and a fan for circulating cooled air,
- B) supplying a portion of said cooled air to a thawing chamber,
- C) operating a heater to heat the cooled air in said thawing chamber,
- D) sensing a temperature in said thawing chamber,
- E) deactivating said heater upon the lapsing of a minimum time period if the sensed temperature has reached a reference temperature, while continuing to operate said heater upon the lapsing of said minimum time period if the sensed temperature has not reached said reference temperature, and
- F) deactivating said heater upon the lapsing of a maximum time period regardless of whether the sensed temperature has reached said reference temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.